


In which Max is heartbroken and no one understands

by zephsomething



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Suicide mention, death mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-21
Updated: 2015-10-21
Packaged: 2018-04-27 10:02:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5044072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zephsomething/pseuds/zephsomething
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Okay this is basically just the aftermath of Chloe’s death and how it effects Max and people around her because I’m not okay with the lack of answers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In which Max is heartbroken and no one understands

It’s been weeks since the funeral. The only good thing to come out of it is that no one has questioned why exactly Max seems like she seems so much older. The nose bleeds stopped after a few days. Max didn’t try to use her power again. It took very little apparently to make Nathan tell the police everything after David took him in. Max had picked up the pieces. She’d been interviewed by the police because she had been there when Nathan had shot Chloe. She’d talked to Joyce and David. She’d even pulled David aside some time after the funeral and told him she knew about the camera’s and how Joyce would react. To his credit he’d reacted better than she expected and they were gone by the next time she came over. Nathan got help as did David.

The evening after the funeral Kate has knocked on Max’s door with a tray of tea and biscuits and a quite, “I thought I’d take you up on the offer of tea?” Max didn’t say much but then again neither did Kate. Maybe it was just that neither of them wanted to be alone with their silence.

A few days later the substitute in their photography class mentioned dark rooms and both Kate and Max’s faces went white as sheets. It was Victoria who put her hand up and asked some question or another to change the topic.

Over the next few weeks tea in Max’s room became a regular thing a few nights a week. Usually just Max and Kate but sometimes other’s showed up. Victoria came at least once a week, Max wondered if she realized how close she’d come to ending up like Rachel. The other girls came every now and again. Both Alyssa and Stella came at least once a week as well, though on different days than Victoria.

Weeks after the funeral and with the end of classes drawing closer every day there was another knock on her door. Followed by Kate’s quiet voice. “Max? It’s me, I brought tea?”  
“Hey.” Max said softly opening the door to let her in. It fell half shut again as Kate put the tea down on the desk.

They sat in silence sipping tea and listening to the sounds of everyone else getting ready to sleep. Eventually the hall lights turned off and their tea was nearly gone. Just before Kate moved to leave Max suddenly couldn’t handle the silence anymore. “This wasn’t how it had to end you know. I could have changed it, I could have changed everything.”

“It’s not your fault Max, I’ve told you that.” Kate turned to face her eyes full of sympathy. “He had a gun, there was nothing you could have done.”

“No you don’t understand.” Max shook her head and suddenly she couldn’t stop, someone had to know. She had to tell someone. So she told Kate. Told her everything. Absolutely everything that had happened that week. All the changes and choices she’d made. About going through time, Kate’s attempted suicide. All of it. About Nathan and Victoria. About Alyssa and Stella and Warren. How she’d loved and lost Chloe all in one week that had felt more like years. It all poured out as the lights in the buildings around them turned off one by one. Told her about the nightmare she’d lived and the one’s she’d been having since and about how she’d fallen in love with the girl who in this time line died without even realizing she’d moved back to town. When she was done she just felt drained, like everything that had held her up was suddenly gone now.

“Max,” Kate’s voice was soft in the silence that followed Max’s confessions. “It’s not your fault.”

Max turned her head to look up at Kate, though she couldn't make herself lift it out of her hands. She couldn’t think of anything else to say to explain how it was all in fact her fault, how she’d for a moment almost let the town be destroyed to save one person. One person who would have probably hated her for letting everyone else die. How she was heartbroken and dying inside and had nightmares about a place she hadn’t even been to in this time line. It was only when Kate’s face crumpled just a little that Max realized she’d been speaking aloud.

“That’s not your fault.” Kate said again, more insistent this time. “You did what you thought was right. That doesn’t make everything else that happened your fault.”

“But I could have-”

“Even if you don’t believe it’s not your fault at least know you’re not alone Max.” Kate said quietly shaking her head. “You’re not the only one that has nightmares.”

That did pause the thoughts. She looked at Kate for a moment before leaning over to hug her. “I’m so sorry.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for.” Kate’s arms wrapped around Max as well.

Max couldn’t tell which of them it was that was shaking but there were tears running down both their faces and maybe it didn’t really matter which one was causing them both to shake. They held each other until the shaking stopped and tears dried on both their faces and when they pulled apart Max felt a little better. A little more like she wasn’t drowning. Someone else knew her secrets.

“Would you,” Kate started and then stopped looking down at her hands for a moment, as though gathering courage before she looked at Max again. “Could I stay here tonight?”

Max smiled a little as she nodded. “There’s enough room for both of us.”

Settled in bed and drifting off to sleep Max heard,”Thank you” whispered so softly she would have thought she imagined it if not for the fact that she could feel the words breathed against her.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry and I posted this w very little editing so pls tell me if you notice any obvious spelling errors  
> also I'm writing another in which Chloe lives if you're interested in that version instead


End file.
